Festival News: WA: Seattle: Participating breweries announced at this year's Washington Brewers Guild Cask Fest. Tickets still on sale for the March 19th event.

(Seattle, WA) ... - The Washington Brewers Guild will present its annual Washington Cask Beer Festival on Saturday, March 19 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. This year marks its 17th year for this long-running cask beer celebration and the event will once again offer an opportunity to sample a wide variety of cask-conditioned beers.

The festival will feature 44 Guild member breweries and this year's lineup includes many first timers who will be making their Cask Fest debut including Old Stove Brewery, Cloudburst Brewing, and Dirty Bucket Brewery while there are plenty of veteran breweries as well including Redhook Brewery who will make an appearance after a few years of hiatus. It is an encouraging sign that breweries new and established from all over the State from Eastsound to Stevenson and Pullman are making cask-conditioned beer and keeping the tradition alive for the next generation of beer drinkers.

Washington Cask Beer Festival was started in 2000 by a handful of local brewers who wanted to preserve the centuries old brewing tradition here in Washington while raising money for the organization that helps protect their industry. Since its inception the event has become a prominent advocate for cask-conditioned beer by encouraging local breweries to learn how to cask and exposing younger beer drinkers to the artistry of cask-conditioned beer.

Festival patrons can also feel good about attending the Cask Festival because every ticket purchase will directly benefit the Washington Brewers Guild, a non-profit dedicated to advancing the interest of the Washington craft beer industry and strengthening the community of brewers. The Guild works with policymakers in Olympia and Washington DC to ensure equal access to market for small brewers, which equals more choice for craft beer consumers. During the current legislative session the Guild introduced bills that would create a special private events permit that would give breweries a new means to engage Washington craft beer consumers and expand their sales opportunities.

The Cask Festival will host two sessions, from noon to 4pm and 6pm to 10pm onSaturday, March 19. Admission is $40 in advance or $45 at the door if tickets are still available. Separate tickets are required for each session. Admission includes a commemorative tasting glass and up to 25 sample tastes. Tickets are available online at www.washingtonbrewersguild.org. This is a 21-and-over-only event.

2016 Washington Cask Beer Festival

Participating Breweries (Subject change)

7 Seas Brewing- Gig Harbor

American Brewing- Edmonds

Anacortes Brewery- Anacortes

Bainbridge Island Brewing- Bainbridge Island

Beardslee Public House- Bothell

Bellevue Brewing- Bellevue

Big Time Brewery- Seattle

Black Raven Brewing- Redmond

Boundary Bay Brewery- Bellingham

Cloudburst Brewing- Seattle

Diamond Knot Brewing- Mukilteo

Dirty Bucket Brewery- Woodinville

Elliott Bay Brewing- Seattle/Burien

Elysian Brewing- Seattle

Fish Brewing- Olympia

Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery- Seattle

Fremont Brewing- Seattle

Georgetown Brewing- Seattle

Hale's Ales Brewery- Seattle

Harmon Brewing- Tacoma

Hellbent Brewing- Seattle

Hi-Fi Brewing- Redmond

Island Hoppin' Brewery- Eastsound

Mac & Jack's Brewing- Redmond

Machine House Brewery- Seattle

Maritime Pacific Brewing- Seattle

McMenamins- Seattle

Mollusk Brewery- Seattle

Naked City Brewery- Seattle

North Sound Brewing- Mount Vernon

NW Peaks Brewery- Seattle

Odin Brewing- Tukwila

Old Stove Brewing- Seattle

Paradise Creek Brewery- Pullman

Pike Brewing- Seattle

Postdoc Brewing- Redmond

Rainy Daze Brewing- Silverdale

Ram Restaurant & Brewery- Seattle

Redhook Brewery- Woodinville

Rooftop Brewing- Seattle

Schooner Exact Brewing- Seattle

Silver City Brewery- Silverdale/Bremerton

Two Beers Brewing- Seattle

Walking Man Brewing- Stevenson

2016 Washington Cask Beer Festival

DATE

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Session 1: 12-4pm

Session 2: 6-10pm

Doors open 15 minutes before each session begins. Taps close 30 minutes before each session ends.

LOCATION

Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

299 Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98109

ADMISSION

$40 advance tickets or $45 at the door, if still available

Admission includes a commemorative tasting glass and up to 25 sample tastes.

Washington Cask Beer Festival is a major highlight of the Pacific Northwest beer festival scene. It's a rare opportunity to sample over 100 mostly exclusive or limited release cask-conditioned beers from 40+ Washington breweries. To stay true to the tradition of cask-conditioned beer the Festival requires brewers to naturally condition the beer in a firkin or other vessels without artificially introducing CO2. All beers will be poured by gravity or via a beer engine and the result is smooth ale with a thick creamy head that brings out subtle, nuanced flavors.

Also featured at the event is the Herbert's Legendary Cask Festival Ale, a special cask beer brewed collectively by Washington brewers in honor of Bert Grant, a legendary Washington Beer icon. This year's Herbert's will be brewed at Mollusk Brewery in Seattle.

FOOD

Athena's Food Truck-- Greek gyros and falafels

Brave Horse Tavern-- house-made pretzels and mustards

Brewmaster's Bakery-- granola and other baked goods made with spent grain from breweries

Dante's Inferno Dogs-- assortment of hot dogs

Mt. Townsend Creamery-- artisan cheese and salami skewers

Sockeye Catering-- Fresh local oysters

BENEFICIARY

Washington Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build a community of Washington State brewers, advance their common interests through the legislative process and promote the quality and value of their beers.